How Can You Love?
by AnelieMPetrova
Summary: Born Anelisia Petrova but goes by Anelie is the daughter of Nadia Petrova and has been beside her mother looking for Katherine since the very beginning. Katherine is in Elena's body and while Nadia is out with Mia, Anelie and Katherine have a heart to heart understanding. One-Shot; Takes place during 5x12; Please Review, This Is my First Story So It Would Mean So Much!
1. Part 1

"Do you Love her?"

"What?"

"My mother—do you love her? And please…be honest."

I was taken aback, caught off guard and dumbfounded. Did I love my own Daughter, of course I did. She is a part of me. I turned from the window and looked at the five-hundred year old teenager sitting on the bed farthest away from where I was standing, "Why are you asking me that?"

"Because she loves you and yet she has never met you…it's strange to me," she sighed softly

I began to nod as I wet my lips, "Well…yes, I do love her, and I love you too." I informed

"How is that possible?" she whispered her head lying on top of her knees that were curled up to her chest, "How is it possible to love someone that you have never _met_, whether you be blood or not?" she grazed her fingers along the stitching of the hotel's bedding

I was not quite sure where my granddaughter was going with this but I went along with it anyway.

"It is a different kind of love. I held her…inside of me for months. I fell in love with her before she was even born. Nadia being ripped from my arms…it devastated me. I never healed from it."

"So…when you said that she was never going to see you again…and when you said that you would rather rip your own heart out…than do any Mother-daughter bonding with her…you were lying—weren't you?"

I nodded once, "Things are different now; I'm not dying anymore…I won't ever die. We have Eternity now."

"Yes…" she smiled softly, "I suppose that we do..._have_ eternity." She tightened her grip around her legs, "And me…how can you love me? We only met a couple days ago while you were lying on your death bed—you did not even know of my existence so tell me…Katerina" she spoke softly as if about to tell a sad story, "…how can you love me?"

I sighed softly, "I love you…because you're my family—my granddaughter…I _loved_ you the moment I knew who you were. You, just like Nadia, are a part of me, my closest decedents—,"

"Blood…is not thicker than water,"

"I know…I know that blood is not thicker than water but I could not help but love you, you both are my family; I love you because I have ever only ever dreamt of meeting my grandchildren and watching my daughter grow up. Five-hundred years and that was the only other thing on my mind besides trying to survive." I admitted, "I love you," I said again, "And I always will."

She looked up at me, our brown eyes locking, "What about Elena?"

"What?"

"You say you love my mother and I because we're your decedents…Elena is your decedent…and mine yet…—yet you do not love her, why?"

Maybe she was where Elena received her compassion from…it surely was not Isobel.

"Elena and I never liked each other…I did terrible things that I am not proud of to her and she only forgave me for them while I was on my death bed. Pity is what she gave me. Our feelings towards one another were very mutual and they stood from the very beginning."

She brought her eyes back down to the bee-line dark purple stitching on the bedding, drawing her fingers over it, "I see…it's a pity…I wonder where things would be if the both of you had started off on the right foot…became friends even being that the two of you are doppelgangers."

I chuckled dryly, "Honestly…I've caught myself wondering the same and maybe we would be friends and maybe I would be in my own body as a Vampire had I not let my selfishness get in the way," A moment of silence fell between us, I looked down at Anelie's hands on the bed as she followed the stitching a faint smile was held on my lips. Finally after a couple moments Anelie looked up at me again, a smile formed on her lips creating a bigger one to form on mine, "I may not know everything that happened but I know enough…and I understand your side and I see it. There is one thing I think that you should hear…from me as your granddaughter."

"And what is that?"

"If I were you…" she breathed out, "I would have done the same."

"You would?"

She nodded, "No doubt…yes, I would have."

I wasn't sure what to say. It was refreshing to have someone see my side of things and agree with them. For the first time in a very long time I felt happy and not just because Anelie could see my Point-of-View…but because I was here, in this moment, sitting with beautiful granddaughter who even being much like Elena Gilbert, stole a special place in my heart in this very moment that would remain forever.

Suddenly she wrapped her arms tightly around me burying her head in my chest, I was taken by complete surprise but I had instinctively hugged her back even tighter. It felt so natural holding her in my arms like this; to have her genuinely hug me and want to felt just as…god, there isn't even a word to describe the feeling it was so great.

"Katherine…"

"Yes…"

"…I love you too…"


	2. Part 2

**So a few months ago i apparently started this Part Two chapter of this story and totally forgot about it. I found it and finished it and I liked how it went along with the first part of How Can You Love so I thought i would share it with you guys :) Tell me what you think. This Story is no officially COMPLETED. **

Meeting her after all this time, after all of those stories told it felt as if I was dreaming. It felt like going on a long vacation and then finally coming home. That feeling like you aren't really there, that you should have woken up in the place you had just been.

I touched her; laid my hand gently over hers as I sat on the edge of the bed beside her weak body. She was dying and the sedatives from the hospital, brought by the Sheriff, were only easing her pain, alleviating any of the feelings that came with death.

This was not how we were supposed to meet.

Over the centuries I followed, trailed, searched, read, and fantasized; sitting here to watch my grandmother fall into oblivion had not taken up a speck of my fantasies, not ever.

I had seen her before, just a couple years ago as a matter of fact; Chicago; she was just across the busy city street, standing outside a line of boutiques and shops talking with a man I had not yet known of his name until today when I came to his house and asked to see Katherine.

No one here knows who I am, not even my name. I refused to tell them only that it was important that I saw her and I don't know what made him do it but, that same man I saw a couple years ago, Stefan, showed me up here and then left me alone.

I'm a Vampire stuck in an adolescent body of fifteen. My Mama is off executing her plan while she has no idea that I am already here.

I adjusted my hand to be grasping Katherine's—it felt like I was holding soft ice.

I felt her hand grasp mine; I watched her eyes as they slowly opened revealing the source from where I earned my brown eyes.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Anelisia Petrova, but, please call me Anelie."

"Petrova?" she wondered

I smiled softly "Yes, I'm your granddaughter, Nadia is my Mama."

"She is—she never said anything about you."

"Neither of you have had much time to sit down and talk really…but time was running out and I wanted to see you myself." I said

"Where is Nadia?" Katherine asked

"She is…" I couldn't really put into words what she was trying to do "getting her way—she'll be here soon."

Katherine sighed and her eyes wondered down to our hands "So you're my granddaughter,"

I nodded and smiled again "Yeah."

"That's hard to swallow." She said a matter-of-factly.

I giggled "What? Meeting your granddaughter or knowing that you're a grandmother?"

She chuckled "Both."

"I've been with Mama all this time you know?" I spoke up after a moment of silence

"So you know everything," she stated and I nodded, "Even the fact that you killed Gregore" I said

"I was protecting myself—he wanted me dead and I did what I had to not just for me but—,"

"For Nadia too," I finished "I know you did. I was the one who showed Mama what a brat she was being and besides I didn't like him anyway so I thank you for getting rid of him."

Katherine laughed "Why didn't you like him?"

I crossed my arms over my chest "He tried to boss me around—acted like I was his kid or something—I put him in his place very quickly." I groaned "I hated him..."

"Petrova's do not get bossed around." She said

"I know!" I exclaimed "He was lucky he lasted as long as he did for acting like he did."

"Well besides him, had your mom been with anyone else?"

I paused for a moment and then shook my head softly "No…I mean she's never truly been with someone since my dad—because I chose to become a Vampire too she put all of her focus into me and trailing you. We never really settled down anywhere for long periods of time." I explained to Katherine who looked at me taking in every word that I had said.

"What was your life like as a human, Anelie?"

I smiled as she asked. I thought of my childhood and it was perfect.

"I was born in the cottage that I lived in up until I was seven with my older sister, her name was Molly. She and I were very close when we were little—we used to sit at the top of this hill by our cottage with Mama early in the mornings when it was dark and we would watch the sun rise and at night we would sit in the very same place and just gaze up at the stars. Daddy would come with us but with the work he did, he wasn't home very much at night.

"Mama—and Papa—we were their pride and joy they never went a day without telling Molly and I how much they loved us."

"Sounds like you enjoyed your human life."

I nodded "It was perfect."

Katherine smiled weakly at me and squeezed my hand a little tighter, "I wish I could have given Nadia a life like that. Even on my death bed, it is one of my greatest regrets that I didn't fight harder for my baby."

"Do you have dreams?" I wondered softly

Katherine nodded, "Every night."

"I do too…in fact, a couple years ago I was in Chicago—I saw you talking with Stefan. I was just right across the road and I couldn't believe that I had finally seen you. I've had dreams since then, at least fifty, about meeting you." I blushed looking down at our hands, "I always woke up with a smile and butterflies."

"Tell me."

I met her eyes again, "You want me to tell you a dream?"

"I would like that, very much."

"Well, the most recent dream that I had was a few nights ago." I began, "It was 1516 and it was Molly's ninth birthday—"

"Anelie"

I was interrupted by Mama. She moved over to me and another woman stood at the end of the bed.

"Hi Mama," I said

"What are you doing here? I thought you were going to meet me later."

I sighed, "I said that, yes. But I wanted to have time with Katherine by myself." I trailed off, "I had to take my chance of speaking with her before it was too late."

I heard my mother sigh and then felt her gently pull me in. I hugged her waist.

"I'm glad you did." She said.

I looked at Katherine and reached my hand grasping hers again that then, took hold of mine. "I am too."

"Katherine," Mama said.

I stood allowing my mother to sit beside Katherine in the spot that I had.

"I found a traveler, Mia. She can help you—you can live longer."

"I'm going to say the passenger spell—you'll repeat it after me," she said the spell in parts, Katherine nodded her head signaling that she was taking in the words. Although, I knew that she knew the spell already. Every born Traveler knew it by heart.

"Now repeat the spell so I know you understand how the passenger works." Mia said

"I can't," Katherine said weakly

"Just say it." Mama demanded, "_Jaryakat a zem Daryeet acza_—say it and it's done. Your spirit will go inside of my body, Mia will call you forth…and you'll get to live." I looked at my mama terrified

"May I have a moment with my daughter please?" Katherine asked

I sighed and turned to leave

"Not you Anelie, you're welcome to stay." She clarified

I shook my head softly looking over my shoulder, "It's okay, I'll give you two a moment," I glanced at Mama, "I love you." And I left the room closing the door behind me.

* * *

I decided to go downstairs; I wondered down the staircase following the sound of voices. I heard Katherine's name mentioned a few times but I didn't try to decipher what it was that they were saying.

I stopped when I watched a girl who looked exactly like Katherine approach me.

"Hey" she said

"Uhm, hi…are you Katherine's sister?" I asked

She shook her head, "No, I'm Katherine's Doppelganger. My name's Elena; who are you?"

"I'm Anelie; it's a pleasure to meet you, Elena."

"If you don't mind my asking…how do you know Katherine?"

"Nadia is my Mother, Katherine is my grandmother." I answered truthfully

Elena's eyes widened "Oh wow," I giggled covering my mouth with my hand

"Is it that hard to swallow?"

She nodded "Just a little."

Silence fell between the two of us; I sighed, and met Elena's eyes. "You look so young," Elena said suddenly, breaking through the silence.

I shrugged, "I suppose I should, being turned at fifteen and all."

"You were turned at fifteen?"

I nodded in reply "It's a rather long story, not important right now anyway, today is about my grandmother not me."

"You only met Katherine today and already you refer to her as your grandmother?"

"Well why not?" I asked, "She is after all dying and I have only been searching my entire existence for her…it isn't like I'll get another chance after today."

"I suppose your right, even with all of the bag things that she's done, redemption and peace seem like good parting gifts."

I chuckled, "You know Elena, not everyone is all the way good; people have to be a little bad so that they stay mostly good. It may be the opposite for my grandmother, but, she's greatly earned the right to do the bad that she has." I moved right beside Elena, "It makes you angry I'm sure but Katherine has done selfless things for you."

"How would you know about those things?" Elena demanded almost glaring at me

I smirked and shrugged a shoulder, "I have my ways."

I then left her side and exited the boarding house. The day was turning into night, the sky was darkening and stars began to unveil in the darkening areas of the sky farther away from the west horizon.

I pushed myself up onto the waist-high brick wall in front of the house and pointed my face up. I closed my eyes as I felt the wind blow through my hair.

I felt like I was Bulgaria on the hillside that I would sit on with my Big Sister, Mommy, and Daddy.

Five hundred years and the wind felt all the same.

"Good, then you heard." I heard my mother speak harshly, "Katherine Pierce the survivor just gave up."

I sighed and my head fell looking at the ground. The door opened and then slammed shut "Let's go Anelie."

"What did you do…?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," I stood from the wall and looked at Mama, "what the hell happened? Why did you just storm out of there?"

"Katherine is giving up—she doesn't want to become a passenger."

"Then get your ass back in there and say goodbye!" I shouted

"You watch your tone; I am still your mother." Mama reprimanded me

"And I'm your daughter, and that is your mother in there dying as everyone else is bashing her for all of her actions. Get in there and hold her hand and just tell her that you love her, Mama."

"Enough Anelisia. We are leaving."

"No mom. You can leave, but I refuse to treat Katherine like she's nothing. I'm going to be at her side—do whatever you want." I rushed past her and went back inside of the boarding house.

* * *

I stepped into the room and saw Stefan sitting beside Katherine. He glanced over his shoulder and stood as he saw me.

"How is she?" I asked

"Getting tired"

I nodded softly, "I'll leave you alone,"

Stefan brushed past me "Stefan," I looked over my shoulder at him, "Thank you."

He gave a nod and left us be.

"These drugs…they're hardcore." She said

"How many did you take?"

"Two willingly, three if you want to count the one Damon plunged into my arm to shut me up."

I giggled, "He sounds like a Dick."

"He is…" She replied

"So why didn't you go with your Mom?"

"Because I wanted to be here with you," I answered, "You don't deserve to be alone."

Katherine showed a grateful smile.

I moved around the bed and climbed up beside her. Neither of us spoke again, I grasped her hand and laid down beside her.

She closed her eyes and turned her head in my direction; I gazed at her. She really was beautiful, even with the silver strands of hair lacing her brunette locks and wrinkles. Katherine was a nightmare dressed like a daydream. I could see that clearly, but, as I had told Elena, Katherine is far more than that. She's had five hundred years under her belt that made her this way. Tortured, taunted, and hunted. She was broken and wounded beyond mending. I could see that in her eyes the moment that she let me see them. All of the stories that I had heard over the centuries about my grandmother; haunted by an immortal hybrid that killed her family—my family, he never stopped sending minions to hunt her down. She was never able to build a life for herself, plant roots and live. Vampire or Human.

I brought her hand up to my face and closed my eyes. I felt Katherine extend a finger and gently glide it over my cheek. Tears welled up in my eyes at her touch.

* * *

"Is she asleep?" I heard a voice similar to Katherine's ask.

"I think so…" I heard Katherine answer, "What is it you're doing up here Elena?"

"Same as everyone else, waiting for you to move on to wherever it is that you're going"

I wasn't sure who the real bitch was out of the two Doppelgangers…but, was Katherine really that mean? She wouldn't say something like that to another who was dying. Katherine would let them go in peace, leave them be. What the hell is wrong with Elena?

I pretended to stir and curled my body, squeezing Katherine's hand between mine as I did.

"Isn't that just kind of you…not letting me die in peace, alone with my only living grandchild at my side,"

"Technically, I am your grandchild too, however many removed."

That spot is filled!

Katherine sighed "Alright Elena, what are you really here for?"

Elena then let out a sharp exhale and said "Truth is, Stefan said that you were not going to last much longer. I wanted to come up here and say this whole speech I prepared to your unconscious body."

"Well I'm conscious, but, if you still want to say whatever it is, fine. I'll listen."

"No…you're right, I should leave you be."

I felt weight suddenly lift from the bed.

"Elena wait," Katherine called out. "Whatever it is that you have to say I'm sure that it is important. Maybe not to me, but to you. I'm not going to apologize for doing the things that I have—horrible or not. However, as long as this stays between us, not at Doppelgangers, but as two girls,"

Weight suddenly fell onto the bed again

"Every bad thing that I have done to you was out of jealousy; you as a human, I saw myself in you. You were able to have the life I couldn't: have friends, fall in love and have children and go on to watch your grandchildren be born. If I couldn't have that life, then I didn't want you to have it either and yes, that included Stefan's love."

"Wouldn't you want exactly the life that you couldn't have for me though? It's only logical that way if you say that you saw yourself in me." Elena said.

"I'm not a logical person Elena, I'm a dreamer and can you honestly blame me? I've only lived for five hundred years as a Vampire. One of the most illogical creatures out there."

"That was a part of my speech…you were not born evil, life made you that way."

* * *

That was the last thing I remembered out of the conversation. I woke up no longer in the bed beside Katherine, but in Elena's arms.

I looked up at her "Elena?"

She looked down at me and I could only see sadness in her eyes. "What happened, where is Katherine?"

"She's dead Anelie, you fell asleep holding her hand."

"But…I-I didn't even get to say goodbye, where is her body—where's my Mama?"

"I already called her, I'm going to take you to her."

Tears welled up in my eyes and began to cascade down my face. I had not noticed, but, we were sitting in the living room of the boarding house around with other people. Elena was sitting with me in her arms in a reading chair by the fire.

"I didn't get to tell her my dreams."

"What dreams?" a third party asked my eyes shot over in the direction of the voice. A blonde girl with curly hair and blue eyes starred at me, as a dozen other pairs of eyes did.

"I saw Katherine in Chicago two years ago…since then I've had dreams about meeting her." My vision began to blur, I stopped myself from saying any more, "This isn't fair…" I whispered, "My grandmother didn't deserve to die like this."

Elena took my hand into hers, I met her eyes, "She's better now."

I nodded knowing well that she was right but for some reason, I couldn't stop crying. The salty water only continued to run down my cheeks.

"I want my Mama." I sobbed

"You should take her to Nadia." Stefan said, "There isn't anything we can do to help ease her pain."

I clung to Elena and in this moment I felt like a child again. Not only that, I felt so safe in Elena's arms. I found it strange but had not bothered to question the sense of security in my grandmother's doppelganger's arms.

She put me in the car, closed the passenger door and then climbed into the driver's seat. She spoke with Stefan but I didn't eaves drop. I sat there looking out the car window up at the stars. They seemed to shine brighter that night. The moon was waxing crescent. The smile of the Cheshire cat in the sky stared me in the face. I was hypnotized by it; I felt numb, I hadn't moved a muscle and didn't notice that the car had been moving for at least three minutes.

I felt a hand grasp mine, I tore my eyes from the moon and looked down at mine and Elena's hands that rested on the middle console. Her thumb gently brushing over the top of my hand.

"Is someone going to bury her body?" I asked just above a whisper.

Elena glanced at me and then looked to the road again, "You and your mother are going to bury her."

"Where?"

"Nadia said Bulgaria…Katherine's birth place I'm sure."

"I wasn't born far from her birth place…same with my big sister…" I said, "Mommy gave birth to us both in a cottage on the other side of town. The original structure of her home which she grew up in is standing to this day."

"How do you know all of this?" Elena wondered

"We bought it when a family decided to sell after living there only a handful of years. I was seven when we did."

"You lived there?"

I nodded, "Mommy and I have taken care of it since my Daddy and Sister passed. Molly's children lived there, as theirs did too and so on for two hundred years up until around the 1760's. Renovations have been done and everything. It's never left the hands of the Petrova family."

We soon reached the hotel that my Mama and I were staying. I opened the car door and stepped out. I watched Mommy come out of the hotel room.

"I'm sorry I left." She apologized as she hugged me.

I said nothing, I felt like I couldn't say anything.

"We should go inside." Elena said.

"We" I questioned looking over my shoulder

Elena nodded.

I went into the room, kicked off my boots and sat on one of the two beds, not that we needed both beds; I had been falling asleep with my Mom since we arrived to Mystic Falls.

"Is Elena staying with us or something?" I asked as Mama closed and locked the door behind her.

"No not Elena." Elena said. I looked at her confused, "I'm lost…" I said.

She giggled and sat on the bed beside me, "I'm not Elena, my dear. I'm your grandmother."

My eyes widened

"I did the passenger spell when you were asleep just as Elena gave me another dosage of those sedatives that put an end to my body."

"You're Katherine?" I asked

She looked at me with a neutral expression and nodded, "I am."

I looked at Mama, "Who called her forth?"

"Mia did, we had a plan I knew Katherine was going to passenger herself into Elena's body."

"So…we can be together?"

"For all Eternity, after we make this permanent." Katherine said

"But…are we going to stay in Mystic Falls?" I asked

Mama and Katherine exchanged glances

Katherine then looked back at me, "No. After the spell is completed, we're going to leave this place. We can go to New York, Seattle, or Europe—anywhere. As long as I'm with you both, I don't care."

* * *

Two weeks later, the spell was completed; I had my grandmother and mother with me. We decided to live in Bulgaria, we moved into Katherine's birth place.

It was a Monday and a week earlier I had decided to go back to school just for the hell of it. We were after all planting our roots here and when I told Mama about wanting to go back to High School she said "Why the hell not?"

I dropped my things by the door and sighed. I had never really been to high school and the first day was exhausting, even for me.

I wondered into the Kitchen where I saw Katherine pouring blood from a blood bag retrieved from the hospital.

"Hey baby doll," she said, "How was your first day?"

"Riveting," I laughed, "High school is a very interesting place." I admitted

She chuckled and handed to me a glass of blood, "And I wouldn't doubt it."

I took the glass and went into the living room flopping down on the big couch.

Katherine came in just a moment later with a glass in her hand. Her hair was damp and she had very little make-up on. She sat down beside me, "So, I was thinking," She said. I sat up and looked at her.

Katherine looked at me; her cheek resting on the back of her hand elbow propped up on the back of the couch and her legs curled behind her.

"You should finish telling me about that dream."


End file.
